UNESCO HIV and Health Education Clearinghouse

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The Department is committed to diversity and inclusion in providing the highest level of service to the Victorian community and in reflecting the diversity of the community across its workforce. Providing workplaces which are safe, supportive and inclusive of same sex attracted (gay, lesbian and bisexual) employees helps to build a culture of respect and dignity for all. Same sex attracted employees are entitled to fully participate in their workplace without fear of offensive, harassing, bullying or discriminatory behaviour.

The academic consequences of bullying are severe, not to mention the mental and physical well-being of targeted students and bystanders alike. Bullying is not a new phenomenon, of course, but neither is it an unalterable fact of childhood. School-wide anti-bullying projects, involving parents and non-teaching staff along with teachers and student leaders have been shown to reduce harassment by as much as fifty percent.

This study investigated the experiences of 132 LGBT and heterosexual teachers and school administrators in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed a survey that asked about their comfort addressing LGBT issues in the school setting, how safe they felt, how active they were, and their perceptions of barriers. There were few differences between the LGBT and heterosexual respondents. However, respondents whose school district had an anti-LGBT harassment policy felt more supported, comfortable, and protected. …

This research provides important information on how to create climates where all educators feel safe, protected and valued within their schools. Ultimately, students will not excel to their full potential if all of their teachers do not feel safe and fully supported by their workplace environments. LGBT educators need then to work in as supportive a school climate as heterosexual educators. It is suspected they do not, but little quantitative evidence exists in the literature to know whether this is true. This study sought to fill this gap.

This document provides guidance for the following questions: What are school districts' legal responsibilities under state and federal anti-discrimination laws? What are some examples of discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity? Why are these laws necessary? How to we make sure we comply with these laws? What steps does a school district need to take to ensure it has an effective anti-harassment policy? Is it necessary to include enumerated categories in the anti-harassment policy? …

The publication serves as a guide for school administrators who confront sensitive issues involving gay, lesbian and bisexual students. It is intended to help these professionals foster safe and healthy school environments, in which all students can achieve to the best of their ability. Just the Facts includes the most recent information from professional health organizations, as well as up-to-date information on the legal responsibility of school officials to protect students from anti-gay harassment.

Every child in every school has the right to learn free from the fear of bullying, whatever form that bullying may take. Everyone involved in a child's education needs to work together to ensure that this is the case. Schools need to take an active approach to tackling all forms of bullying, including homophobic bullying. Schools should be taking action to prevent bullying behaviour, as well as responding to incidents when they occur. A preventative approach to bullying means that schools safeguard thewelfare of their pupils. …

The document provides a list of steps to take to ensure that your classroom or school is a safe and inclusive space for all students, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

The introduction of LGBT issues in schools is not the most obvious theme for schools. In most schools, sexuality in general and LGBT issues specifically are taboo and in many cases even forbidden. This kit aims to provide tools to help schools, school support institutions and LGBT activist organizations to deal with this subject. GALE and its partners have a great interest in working with schools. This is in the first place to make the school more accessible for all students and a better learning environment for LGBT students. …